WOMEN IN MEDIEVAL INDIA
I.
MEDIEVAL INDIA
A.
BACKGROUND
1.
INDIA'S HISTORY GOES BACK TO 2500 B.C.E.
a.
INDUS CIVILIZATION - 1ST ONE
2.
2ND CIVILIZATION
a.
ARRIVAL OF ARYANS - C. 1500 B.C.E.
b.
ESTABLISHED
(1)
CASTE SYSTEM
(a)
4 MAJOR ONES
(2)
REINCARNATION
(3)
LOWERING OF WOMEN'S STATUS
(4)
HINDUISM
(a)
RELIGION STILL IN MAJORITY TODAY
(5)
SACRED SCRIPTURES
(a)
VEDAS, UPANISHADS, LAW OF MANU
3.
NEXT MAURYAN EMPIRE
a.
MAJOR LEADER ASHOKA - BUDDHIST
B.
MEDIEVAL INDIA
1.
1526 BABUR THE TIGER
a.
DESCENDANT OF GENGHIS KHAN & TAMERLANE
b.
ESTABLISHED GREAT MUGHAL DYNASTY
c.
REALLY MUSLIM IN RELIGION
d.
BUT PERSIAN, MUSLIM, MONGOL & INDIA IN CULTURE
2.
GRADUALLY EXTENDED MUSLIM POLITICAL POWER OVER INDIA
3.
BUT NUMBER OF PRACTICING MUSLIMS ALWAYS SMALL FOR
MAJORITY OF INDIANS
4.
AKBAR - GREAT EMPEROR WHO PRACTICED RELIGIOUS
TOLERATION
5.
HIS SON JAHANGIR MARRIES NUR JAHAN
II.
NUR JAHAN - MEHR-ON-NESA, MIHN-UN-NISA, OR MEHRUNISSA
A.
GENERAL REMARKS
1.
BORN 1577
2.
DAUGHTER OF PERSIAN
a.
WHO WAS IN SERVICE OF MOGHUL JAHANGIR
3.
SHE MARRIED PERSIAN SHAR AFKUN
a.
WHOM JAHANGIR POSTED TO BENGAL
b.
SHE HAD A DAUGHTER LADILI BEGAM
(1)
WHO MARRIED PRINCE SHAH IRYAR
(a)
SON OF JAHANGIR
4.
HER HUSBAND SHER AFKUN DIED IN 1607
a.
POSSIBLY AT JAHANGIR'S INSTIGATION
5.
WIDOW NUR JAHAN BROUGHT TO COURT AS
a.
LADY-IN-WAITING TO SALIMA
(1)
WIDOW OF PREVIOUS MOGHUL AKBAR
6.
EMPEROR JAHANGIR MARRIED NUR JAHAN 4 YEARS LATER
a.
GAVE HER NAME NUR MAHAL
(1)
LIGHT OF THE PALACE
2
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
b.
AT TIME OF MARRIAGE SHE 34
EMPRESS & DE FACTO RULER OF INDIA 1611-1627
INTERMITTENTLY
MOST POWERFUL & CONTROVERSIAL MUGHAL WOMAN
SHE GAVE HER BROTHER, ASAF KHAN
a.
GIVEN HIGH-RANKING POSITION
(1)
SECOND ONLY TO THAT OF HER FATHER
(a)
WHO WAS PROMOTED TO CHIEF MINISTER
NUR JAHAN SOON MADE HERSELF INDISPENSABLE TO
DEPENDENT ALCOHOLIC KING
SHE ALSO PRACTICED WHAT OTHER SCHOLARS REFER TO AS
POLITICS OF PROCREATION
a.
THEY GAVE BIRTH
b.
THEN EDUCATED & DIRECTED POTENTIAL HEIRS IN
COMPETITION AMONG PRINCES TO SUCCEED THEIR
FATHER
HER MOTHER DISCOVERED ATTAR OF ROSES
a.
REWARDED WITH PEARL NECKLACE
CLEARLY FAMILY HAD TAKEN OVER PALACE
NUR JAHAN, HER BROTHER & HER FATHER DOMINATED POLITICS
OF REALM
NUR JAHAN MAKING DECISIONS & OTHERS CARRYING THEM OUT
BRITISH AMBASSADOR SIR THOMAS ROE WROTE HOME TO
FUTURE KING CHARLES I THAT
a.
NUR JAHAN GOVERNS HIM AND WINDS HIM UP AT HER
PLEASURE
WHEN JAHANGIR FELL ILL IN 1620
a.
FROM THEN ON HIS POOR HEALTH
b.
COMPOUNDED BY ASTHMA
c.
& HIS USE OF ALCOHOL & OPIUM
MADE IT IMPERATIVE FOR NUR JAHAN TO EXERCISE CONTROL
HER FATHER DIED & HER BROTHER OCCUPIED ELSEWHERE
DURING FINAL 5 YEARS OF JAHANGIR'S LIFE
AT THAT POINT SHE BUILD "BABY TAJ"
a.
MORTUARY TOMB FOR HER PARENTS, SIBLINGS
b.
COMBINATION OF PERSIAN, HINDU & MUSLIM
ARCHITECTURE
c.
PROTOTYPE FOR TAJ MAHAL
d.
DECORATIVE FEATURES INCORPORATED HER HUSBAND
JAHANGIR AS DRUNK IN BOTTLE OF WINE
e.
& HANDLES REPRESENTED BY SNAKES
(1)
REFERRING TO HER DECADENT HUSBAND
NUR JAHAN RULED ALONE FROM INSIDE HAREM
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT NUR JAHAN EVER BROKE PURDAH
SHE EVEN HUNTED TIGERS FROM CLOSED HOWDAH ON TOP OF
AN ELEPHANT WITH ONLY BARREL OF HER MUSKET EXPOSED
BETWEEN CURTAINS
IN 1626 SHE RODE INTO BATTLE IN ELEPHANT LITTER
a.
DISPENSING HER ORDERS THROUGH HER EUNUCH
SHE ALSO CARRIED ON BUSINESS
3
a.
SPECIALIZING IN INDIGO & CLOTH TRADES
AFTER HER DAUGHTER MARRIED SHAH IRYAR
a.
NUR JAHAN BEGAN ACTIVELY TO WORK AGAINST SHAH
JAHAN,
(1)
JAHANGIR'S APPOINTED HEIR TO THRONE
27.
AFTER JAHANGIR DIED
a.
SHAH JAHAN ABLE TO SEIZE CONTROL
28.
NUR JAHAN QUICKLY ACCEPTED RETIREMENT
a.
PENSION OF 200,000 RUPEES YEAR
29.
SHE DIED IN 1645/6 AT AGE OF 68/9
30.
MANY OF HER ENEMIES & LATER SCHOLARS HAVE PORTRAYED
NUR JAHAN AS STRONG-WILLED MANIPULATOR OF JAHANGIR
31.
WOMEN WHO RULED IN THEIR OWN RIGHT OR ACTED ON BEHALF
OF THEIR HUSBANDS
a.
RECEIVED NEGATIVE TREATMENT BECAUSE THEY SEEM
TO THREATEN ESTABLISHED ORDER
32.
WOMEN WHO HAVE PRESERVED POWER FOR THEIR SONS ARE
DEEMED PRAISE WORTHY HOWEVER
SHAH JAHAN & TAJ MAHAL
1.
JAHANGIR'S SON BY ANOTHER WOMAN
2.
BUILDS TAJ MAHAL FOR HIS WIFE MUMTAZ
a.
WHO DIES IN CHILDBIRTH DELIVERING HIS 14TH SON OR
CHILD
b.
APPARENTLY MUMTAZ REQUESTED THAT HE BUILD IT
26.
B.
III.
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES INVOLVING WOMEN IN MEDIEVAL INDIA
A.
GENERAL REMARKS
B.
ISLAM IN INDIA
1.
WOMEN OF THE COURT & HAREM TO STAY IN PURDAH
2.
NUMEROUS EXAMPLES TODAY OF BUILDINGS FROM MEDIEVAL
INDIA TIMES SHOWING THIS
C.
HINDUISM
1.
FOR HINDUS CONTINUATION OF SAME GODS & GODDESSES AS
ANCIENT INDIA HISTORICAL PERIOD
2.
SEE LECTURE FOR HISTORY 251
D.
PRACTICES OF SATI
1.
RITUAL IMMOLATION OF WIDOWS ON HUSBAND'S FUNERAL PYRE
2.
PRACTICED BY HIGHEST BRAHMAN CASTE & OTHERS
3.
NOT PRACTICED BY MUSLIMS